Marine Corps MMA Team
Create Post
Results 1 to 5 of 5
  1. #1

    Marine Corps MMA Team

    So I saw someone asked about the team and how to get on it, in another thread. But I decided to go a little more in depth on the topic for anyone interested, as there is little to no info on the web. Below is my story with the team. My apologies if this is in the wrong section.

    Semper Fi!


    The Marine Corps MMA Team was officially called... The Marine Corps All-Varsity Submission Wrestling Team. It was created in 2004, as a way to help recruit young men into the Marines for the fighting efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan at the time. We later discovered he also created the team to help Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to cope with their war experiences, what I later learned to be PTSD.

    The founder and Head Coach was Gunnery Sgt Corey S. Bennin. He was a 0844 I believe, and one of the best fighters and coaches I have ever met in my life. He told me he started the team as a submission wrestling team, because in 2004, the Corps wouldnt have signed off on a Cage Fighting Team. MMA was still just green behind the ears in the entertainment eyes and considered a hazard for Marines during war time. It didnt start getting a reputation for MMA and being called the USMC Fight Team and Marine Corps MMA Team till around 2006 or 07. The coach had a nack for taking guys and making them amateur fighters and then turning pro. The team was disbanded in 2011. There have been many clubs in the Marine Corps, most notably Club 29 in 29 Palms. But this was the real deal, T.A.D. orders required, full time, all-varsity, MMA Team.

    I was on the Marine Corps MMA Team in 2008, I fought at Lt Heavy Wt-204lbs. for 6 months, (TAD 159 days or something like that). It was a full time job. We trained at that time in Camp Margarita (Recon Gym) from 0900 till 1300. then we were expected to train in town at night at a gym of our choice. I trained in Muay Thai and Jiujitsu in town, and our coach on the team, Corey, was a Pan Am Gold Medalist and Black Belt in BJJ.

    At that time, in Dec. of 2007, when I got on the team. I had returned from my 2nd deployment to Iraq as an Artilleryman, and had a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Karate already, and a small reputation for mma fighting in Iraq against other marines during downtime. (my Sgt made me fight other Marines from other units for money and entertainment, I always won as they were always full of sh*t). Also, I didnt have enough time on my enlistment for a 3rd deployment, so it made since when I asked my unit to join.

    I had tried out for the team, in 2006 between deployments, and lost due to armbar against a guy that did make the team. When I joined the team in December of 2007, it was as a walk on, no competition needed, they couldnt find a single unit in the 1st Marine Division willing to let their Marines join the team, because 80% of the Corps was deployed at that moment. So we ran a 7 man team, including the coach, and we needed 10. Several fighters on the team were previously on the Marine Corps Boxing Team and the Marine Corps Wrestling Team. They just made a lateral move from their respective Varsity Sport to our team. The Captain of the team was Big Bill Callahan (spelling) or was it Callan, it was something Irish.

    There was one female on the team in 2007, just before I got on that December, I met her once, she was very, very tough and had a lot of respect from the guys on the team.

    During my time, we had 2 officers on the team, one was nick named "Iron Leg" because he broke his opponent’s femur bone (thigh) with a thai kick to his leg during the California Pankration Championships. I saw it happen, and thus "Iron Leg" was born.

    Big Bill was the captain of the team and was 215lbs of solid muscle and he was upset because he used to be 240+ lbs of solid muscle but had to cut weight to fight at Lt Heavy Wt (189-204lbs) since the coach was a natural Heavy Weight (205-280) He was the most aggressive and physically and mentally tough man I have ever and will ever meat in my entire life. He gave me the worst beating I have ever received, but I came back 2 days later and kept training with him. I like to think he respected that. I dont know, I was too busy fearing him. He was a grunt with 4 tours, and was waiting for his orders to go be a MCMAP Instructor in Quantico, Virginia. He was a legit monster and a wrestler from Iowa I believe.

    We had a sniper on the team, he couldnt have been taller than 5'2, but was solid muscle. he was a little beast.

    We had a guy from Anglico, he was nuts and always picked on me, but we became decent friends by the end of my time on the team. He was one tough SOB.

    The guy from the boxing team was a natural of course.
    The guy from the wrestling team was a beast of course.
    Then there was the coach and me, that makes 7.
    Of course people left and new guys came, when Bill left a guy from Recon joined, he had no prior training or experience, and yet he still one several fights later in his season.
    We all called each other buy our first names or nick names. We were all veterans. And for 6 months, I never had to wear any camies or uniform, just flip flops, fight shorts and a team shirt to work every morning. (flip flops were excepted as allowed clothing attire in the Marines in 2008, but few people got that memo and chewed me out whenever I went to the chow hall in my team clothes lol)

    The coach new tons of fighters and UFC fighters, and coaches, so he always had a guest in our gym teaching us, or we always had field trips to other gyms in San Diego and Orange County and trained with other MMA Fighters.

    I'm going to say this next piece with zero arrogance and zero ego, it is just a fact. In the 6 months I was on the team, I never once saw another Marine, walk into our gym, and train with us for longer than 2 days. If he was on our team, then he was a tough SOB. but if he was just some local Marine, trying to train with us just to say he did, or like other times, they would show up saying they were a MCMAP instructor and asked if we wanted them to coach us, they never lasted longer than 2 days. None of them. No ego here, Im just stating a fact from what I saw on my 6 months with the team. At that time, anyone in Camp Margarita and all of Camp Pendleton could train with the team during their lunch, since we trained from 0900 till 1300, and several would come in. Lots claiming to be fighters, others just curious, some wanting to join the team. But none stayed for longer than 2 days, only the ones that had the orders to stay, stayed and fought. Its just what I saw and it was just a fact. No ego here. It was just that tough. It in fact became a problem because we needed a 10 man team but only had 7. The team got bigger after I left that summer in 2008 as the Iraq war was winding down, but we ran a skeleton crew that spring.

    I left the team with 6 amateur mma (pankration) fights by June 2008. The coach would have let me stay on another 6 months since my EAS was coming up, but my unit wouldn't let me stay, they wanted me back in our shop to train future deploying Marines.

    It was the hardest challenge of my entire 4 years and 2 combat tours. To show up to the gym, and get your arse kicked by Marines for 4 hours straight, then go to town at night and get your arse kicked by civilians for 2 hours straight, then go to bed hurting, and wake up and do it all over again. I was definitely not the toughest on the team, some days I was the weakest link, but I didnt quit, I did my best, I finished my TAD.

    For me... It was harder than bootcamp and Iraq combined. But it was worth it, and Im very proud I did it.

    I talked to the coach since then, the Team was disbanded in 2011 for conflict of interest. The coach retired from the Corps in 2009 I think and ownes a BJJ school in Oceanside. He continued to be the instructor of the team as a Civilian Contractor till 2011 but the Marine Corps said he could either keep his school and quit the team, or lose the school and continue coaching (conflict of interest)...So he quit the team to keep his school. He still has as school in Oceanside, California. Its called Excel Jiu jitsu. You can google it and contact him to verify anything I've stated. Tell him "Big J" says hi.

    Those were the best and worse times of my life. I'm 30 years old now, and coaching kickboxing at a boxing gym in Austin, Tx. Best of luck to you all. God Bless.

    Pics of the team, Pic of me, and my last fight against a Marine from Club 29 (he won). And the picture of our 3 coaches. (Corey is in the middle).
    Click image for larger version

Name:	Marine Corps Fight Team (4).jpg
Views:	2962
Size:	26.3 KB
ID:	27845Click image for larger version

Name:	Marine Corps Fight Team (7).jpg
Views:	1590
Size:	21.1 KB
ID:	27846Click image for larger version

Name:	subfighter9.jpg
Views:	577
Size:	12.9 KB
ID:	27847Click image for larger version

Name:	Me in cage.jpg
Views:	511
Size:	24.3 KB
ID:	27849Click image for larger version

Name:	Me losing.jpg
Views:	552
Size:	26.4 KB
ID:	27848

    Similar Threads:

  2. #2
    Marine Free Member FistFu68's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Broken Bow
    Posts
    9,698
    Credits
    168,904
    Savings
    0
    Images
    148
    Don't make Me Sic Gunny Gibson on Your YoungButts He was a Real Animal during My Era HaHa all Kidding Aside GodSpeed 2 All of Ya great 2 See young Marines that can still Kick sum Butt Go Easy Semper Fi


  3. #3
    Good to see this here!

    MMA caught my eye, since I've been following that (and worked out with some guys who competed in it *early* on) since the first UFC. Yes, I'm that old.

    It's frcking GREAT to see that Marines are keeping the warrior spirit going. Too bad the "MMA fighter as a secondary MOS" didn't take off as a permanent thing, that would be absolutely great, but I'm glad to see Marines like you (Sandman!) keeping things going.

    Nah, I don't have anything to add here, just a good loud "OOH-RAH" and a big thumbs-up for any young Marines out there with this attitude - you're what keeps the Marine Corps still the Marine Corps!!



    Semper Fi, young brother!


  4. #4
    Marine army boxing mma teams are highly competitive and normally consist of fighters with extensive civilian and military fighting experience.


    Capital "M" in Marines, we do that here...!!!



    Last edited by FoxtrotOscar; 09-12-14 at 08:55 AM. Reason: Spelling fix...

  5. #5
    Baker1971
    Guest Free Member
    What ? no profile ???


Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not Create Posts
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts